We’re kicking off Eco-Week sharing share some information about Bamboo Fabric., considered to be one of the most eco-friendly fibres available. Have a read of our guide to learn why, and about the different types of bamboo fabric that are available.
Bamboo fabric is a natural textile, made from plants called Bamboo, which are known as the ‘plant of a thousand uses’ as they have been used for centuries as building material, but Beijing University managed to develop the super sustainable plant as bamboo fibre.
Bamboo plants grow quickly like grass, so often need a trim and will carry on growing.
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Bamboo fabric is very soft, smooth and lightweight, yet strong. Also, it does not go under much chemical processing to make the fabric, which makes it easy to wear if you have found your skin is sometimes irritated by fabrics.
The fibres have a criss-cross texture which makes it a fantastic moisture absorber but also good for breathability.
Not only is bamboo fabric more environmentally friendly, but it is also super absorbent. This means it’s great for re-usable items like cloth nappies, reusable wipes, yoga towels, women’s cloth pads, mattress covers, pet beds and so much more!
The textile industry have found in comparison to cotton, it is 3 times more absorbent and keeps you cool and dry in sweaty situations! It can also adapt to weather conditions, keeping you cooler than cotton would in the heat but warm and cosy in the winter.
Lab tests on the material have proved that it is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal thanks to the natural substance called ‘Bamboo kun’ which protects the plant from pests. Even after 50 washes, the bamboo fibres continue to have antibacterial properties!
Bamboo fabrics comes in a wide variety of types such as velour, towelling, jersey and stretch terry.
Check out these makes below where bamboo fabric has been used as an absorbent insert.
Photo Credit: Bumble Bees Modern Cloth Nappies
BAMBOO TOWELLING
Read our 13 Tips for Sewing with Bamboo Towelling Fabric here
One of our best selling bamboo options is the Bamboo towelling. Ideal for cloth wipes, bibs and towels, it is super soft and the premium version is lush with a gorgeous sheen for that luxury feel.
There is no stretch to struggle with while sewing but can be quite lofty as it has terry loop on both sides.
Bamboo towelling comes in a few different neutral colours too!
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BAMBOO VELOUR
Another bamboo option we have is a knit fabric with a super soft velour finish. It makes GORGEOUS snuggle blankets & has a great drape for loungewear. It is also a popular choice for nappy making as it’s very soft to touch and is thinner than bamboo towelling.
When sewing, be careful as it has a little stretch so make sure to use lots of pins, a walking foot and a ball point needle. In addition, it makes a fantastic blank canvas for your own colour palette, as it takes dye well.
BAMBOO FRENCH TERRY
Bamboo French Terry is a super high quality premium fabric that comes in a variety of colours. It has a smooth knit side and dimpled weave effect on the reverse. It’s great for lounge wear as well as sports wear as it’s super absorbent. It’s can be used for any item where absorbency is needed.
Bamboo jersey
How about some super soft leggings? Bamboo jersey is ideal for sportswear as it’s soft, breathable, strong and lightweight. Also perfect for t-shirts & dresses. Don’t forget those anti-bacterial properties too, ideal for those sweaty gym sessions!
You can use bamboo jersey any where you might use a regular jersey fabric.
CHECK THE WEIGHT
When browsing for absorbent fabrics, take a note of the fabric weight (normally written as gsm which stands for grams per square metre). The higher GSM the fabric is, the more it will absorb.
What can I make with bamboo fabrics?
Looking for project ideas for bamboo fabrics? Here’s some suggestions
- Reusable Kitchen Cloths
- Reusable Cotton Pads
- Bamboo Mattress Toppers
- Cloth nappies
- Reusable makeup remover pads (Square)
- Reusable cotton pads (Round)
- Eco-Friendly Shower Puff
- Breast pads/breastfeeding bra pads
- Bath Eye Mask
- Bath Headband
- Bath Mitt
- Bath towels
- Robes
- Flannels
- Slippers
- Casual clothing
- Loungewear
- Tea towels
- Reusable sanitary wear
- Wash mitts
- Reusable cloths, towels and sponges for cleaning
- Childrenswear
For free tutorials and other ideas, check out our blog series.
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This is a very interesting and enlightening article, thank you. It made me feel hopeful for the future. This may sound dramatic, however I genuinely felt optimistic.
You’re welcome! We can all do our bit to help the environment and hopefully create a better future for our plant! Super glad you liked the article 🙂
Is there a bamboo fabric that is woven and suitable for making some ‘posh’ joggers please?
Hi Lynne
Woven probably isn’t the ideal fabric for joggers as you’d want a bit of stretch, however we’d recommend using bamboo french terry, you can find it here https://plushaddict.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=bamboo+french+terry
I read that the production of Bamboo fabric, that is the process of changing the plant to a fibre that can be woven / knit, had a very negative environmental impact. Do you believe this to be the case?
Hi Sarah,
As far as our research goes we found it takes less water than cotton to process and it grows a lot quicker making the production process more sustainable! So we do believe it’s more environmentally friendly than cotton
I had read that bamboo fabric production uses caustic soda and other chemicals in order to break down the bamboo prior to spinning out into fibres. This website has an informative piece from a couple of years ago. https://thegreenhubonline.com/2017/11/27/how-sustainable-is-bamboo-and-is-it-really-eco-friendly/
Worth checking this out I think.
Hi Grace
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Although there are a very very small number of fabrics (if any!) that are produced in a way that makes them 100% eco-friendly, bamboo, in particular bamboo linen is one of the less wasteful/harmful to the environment in comparison to cotton for example